Receptacle device



June 38, 1970 R. A. NYBERG 3,513,614

RECEPTACLE DEVICE Filed Nov; 26, 1968 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F I g 3INVENTOR.

RiCHARD A. NYBERG WW fig 07 A 'TOR/VEY J 30, 1976 R. A. NYBERG 3,518,614

RECEPTACLE DEVICE Filed Nov. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent 015cc Patented June 30, 1970 3,518,614 RECEPTACLE DEVICE RichardA. Nyberg, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to the United States ofAmerica as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Nov. 26, 1968,Ser. No. 779,165 Int. Cl. H01r 13/62 US. Cl. 33974 6 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A receptacle or socket having a plurality of coiledsprings that are attached to and positioned between a pair of spacedapart rotatable plates. Each of the coiled springs have an innercylindrical region for receiving the connector pins of photomultipliertubes or the like that are inserted through openings in one of therotatable plates. When the rotatable plates are rotated with respect toeach other in one direction the diameters of the inner region of thecoiled springs are simultaneously increased and when rotated in theother direction the diameters are decreased. When the diameters areincreased this permits easy insertion of the tube connector pins. Afterthe tube pins are inserted into the coiled springs, a spring biaselement causes rotation of the plates to decrease the diameter of thecoiled springs to tightly grip the connector pins. Release of theconnector pins is achieved by rotating the plates against the springbias element to increase the diameter of the coiled springs and permiteasy removal of the connector pins.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposesWithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to receptable devices and moreparticularly to a receptacle device used for holding photomultipliertubes or the like.

Effective receptacles for photomultiplier tubes and the like have thebasic requirements that they be mechanically and electricallyfunctional. The receptacle must mechanically secure or hold thephotomultiplier tube contact pins and effectively prevent shock andvibrations from injuring the photomultiplier tube. Furthermore, it isnecessary to provide a positive electrical contact between thephotomultiplier tube and the receptacle for all conditions of operation.In addition, it is quite desirable that the photomultiplier tube bereadily inserted and removed from the receptacle.

Prior receptacles used for this purpose have employed high pressure flatsprings and rather complicated retainers in each terminal of thereceptacle. Because of the high pressure springs, insertion of the tubepins into the receptacle terminals required substantial force. Withglass tubes having relatively frail glass mounting for the tube pins, ithas been found that tube breakage can easily result when the tube is notperfectly aligned with the receptacle and force is used in an attempt toinsert the tube.

The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing areceptacle having a plurality of coiled springs that are positioned toreceive each of the tube pins in the inner cylindrical open region ofeach of the coiled springs. A mechanical system is provided forsimultaneously increasing or decreasing the diameter of the coiledsprings. When the diameter of the coiled springs is increased the innercylindrical region of each coiled spring is increased thereby permittingeasy insertion of the tube pins. After the tube pins are inserted intothe coiled springs, a mechanical spring bias element is employed whichbiases each coiled spring, tending to decrease the diameter of thecoiled springs, to tightly grip the tube pins Release of the tube pinsis achieved by simultane' ously increasing the diameter of coiledsprings thereby permitting easy removal of the tube pins.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of the inventionwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top elevation of the receptacle of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bias spring assembly taken at line 22of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the receptacle taken at line 3-3 of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a top elevation of upper plate 13; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom elevation of lower plate 15.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5 of the drawings the primary componentsmaking up receptacle 11 of the present invention are upper plate 13,lower plate 15, a plurality of clamping spring assemblies 17, and a pairof bias spring assemblies 19 and 21.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, upper plate 13 includes aplurality of terminal openings 23, a plurality of spring openings 25,tab 27, and a cup section 29. Cup section 29 includes a downwardlyextending cylindrical wall 31, a circular base 33 that has a concentriccircular opening 35, and two spring holding slots 37 and 39. As bestdepicted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, spring holding slots 37 and 39respectively include fingers 41 and 43, that respectively receive oneend of bias springs 45 and 47.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 the lower plate 15 includes a plurality ofterminal openings 48, a plurality of spring openings 51, a plurality ofterminal pins 53, tab 55, and a cup section 57. Cup section 57 includesupwardly extending cylindrical wall 59, a circular base 61 that has aconcentric circular opening 63, and two spring holding slots 65 and 67.As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, spring holding slots 65 and 67respectively include fingers 69 and 71 that respectively receive one endof bias springs 45 and 47.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, upper and lower plates 13 and 15 aresandwiched together, are axially aligned and are rotatable with respectto each other about sleeve 73 which is inserted through openings 35 and63 and held in place by flanges 75 and 77. It should be noted that whenassembled terminal openings 23 of upper plate 13 are in alignment withterminal openings 49 of lower plate 15.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 each of clamping spring assemblies17 comprises a coil spring 79 having an upper end 81 and a lower end 83.The upper ends 81 of each of the springs are inserted through springopenings 25 of upper plate 13 for attachment thereto. The lower ends ofeach of the springs are inserted through spring openings 51 of bottomplate 15 for attachment thereto. Each of lower spring ends 83 are alsoattached to terminal pins 53 to provide electrical connection betweenthe tube and external circuitry. When used with photomultiplier tubes itmay be desirable to connect resistors 85 between terminal pins 53- asillustrated in FIG. 5. A sleeve 87 surrounds coiled spring 79 to retainthe spring and prevent excessive axial misalignment. Each of theclamping spring assemblies 17 are axially aligned with their respectiveterminal openings 23 and 49.

It should be particularly noted that terminal openings 23 are spacedapart on a circumference of upper plate 13 and have a substantiallylarger diameter than terminal pins 89 of the photomultiplier tube.Terminal openings 49 are spaced apart on a circumference of lower plate15 and preferably have diameters slightly larger than the diameter ofterminal pins '89 of the photomultiplier tube which are insertedtherethrough. In the relaxed or unbiased condition the inside diameterof each of coil springs 79 is slightly smaller than the outside diameterof the photomultiplier tube pins 89. Since the ends of each spring arerespectively fastened to the upper and lower plates, when tabs 27 and 55are forced together, the rotation of the upper and lower plates are inopposite directions which causes the springs to be biased or unwoundslightly. In this unwound condition, the inside diameter of each springis slightly larger than it was in the unbiased or wound position, thuspermitting the tube pins to be easily inserted within the springs. Whenthe tabs are released, the bias springs 45 and 47 cause the upper andlower plates to rotate in opposite direction and back to the positionwhere the coil springs 79 are returned to their unbiased smallerdiameter condition and exert a gripping force on each of the tube pins.Appropriate stops, not shown, may be provided to limit the rotationaltravel in both directions. The spring force on each of the tube pinsresults in the tube being securely held within the receptacle withexcellent electrical connections being maintained between each of thetube pins and their corresponding coil springs.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that Within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A receptacle comprising:

(a) a plurality of coil springs each having an inner cylindrical openregion for receiving longitudinally extending members;

(b) an upper plate and a lower plate;

(c) means for maintaining said upper and lower plates in spaced relationand rotatable with respect to each other; i

((1) said plurality of coil springs positioned between said upper andlower plates, the lower end of each of said springs being connected tosaid lowerplate and the upper end of each of said springs beingconnected to said upper plate;

(e) said upper plate includes openings in alignment with each of saidcoil springs;

(f) whereby rotation of said upper plate with respect to said lowerplate causes a change in cross-sectional diameter of each of said coilsprings; and

(g) said lower plate includes openings in alignment with each of saidcoil springs.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

(a) each of said coil springs is surrounded by a retainer for at leastpart of its length.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein:

(a) the diameter of the openings in said upper plate are substantiallylarger than the diameter of the inner cylindrical open region of saidcoil springs.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein:

(a) a mechanical spring bias is operatively connected to said upper andlower plates to rotate said upper and lower plates in one direction withrespect to each other to simultaneously decrease the diameter of theinner cylindrical open region of each of said coil springs.

5'. The device of claim .3 wherein:

(a) said upper plate includes a downwardly extending cup section havinga base;

(b) said lower plate includes an upwardly extending cup section having abase; and

(c) a sleeve operably connected to said bases of said cup sections ofsaid upper and lower plates to permit relative rotation of said upperand lower plates with respect to each other.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein:

(a) said base of said upper plate including a spring holding slot havinga finger member extending into said slot;

(b) said base of said lower plate including a spring holding slot havinga finger member extending into said slot;

(0) said slots of said upper and lower plates being in verticalalignment and the finger members of each of said slots being oppositewith respect to each other;

(d) a bias spring positioned in said slots with one end inserted overone finger member and the other end inserted over the other fingermember.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,785,239 12/1930 Alden 339193 XR2,635,131 4/1953 Greatbatch 173-328 OTHER REFERENCES IBM Tech. Bulletin,Kennedy et al., Pluggable Wire Wrapping Connector, June 1963, vol. 6,No. 1, p. 36.

RICHAlRD E. MOOlRE, Primary Examiner L. J. STAAB, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 339193

